ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop University inducted six more members into its Athletics Hall of Fame Friday night in McBryde Hall on campus.
The six members of the Class of 2005 include Nield Gordon, the school’s first men’s basketball coach and the winningest basketball coach in school history; Jeff Greene, a track performer and 1994 graduate who became the school’s first NCAA Div. I All-American; Frances Burns Hogan, an all-around sports standout at Winthrop and a member of the class of 1943 who went on to gain notoriety as a tennis coach and women’s athletic director at North Carolina; the late Dr. DeDe Owens, a member of the class of 1968 who joined the LPGA tour and later became one of the nation’s top golf instructors; Judy Wilkins Rose, a member of the class of 1974 who played basketball for four years and went on to coach on the college level and serve as athletic director at UNC Charlotte; Bob Steer, a member of the class of 1981 who earned second team NAIA All-American honors in 1981.
Here is a more detailed look at each inductee:
Nield Gordon--served as Winthrop’s first men’s basketball coach from 1978 through 1986. He compiled a record of 160 wins, 100 losses and a .615 winning percentage. The 160 coaching victories still ranks first in school history. His Eagle teams averaged 20 wins per season and his first Winthrop team of 1978-79 built a record of 25 wins and 10 losses and became the first team to ever qualify for the NAIA District 6 playoffs in its first year of existence. He guided the 1980-81 team to a 31-8 record, becoming just the third team in South Carolina collegiate history to win 30 or more games in a single season. He reached the 100-victory plateau in just four seasons as he led the Eagles to a 104-43 record during that span. He played a significant role in the planning and construction of the Winthrop Coliseum during his tenure as athletic director. Gordon coached Newberry College to the NAIA National Championship game in 1976-77.
Jeff Greene--a member of the Class of 1994. He was the first Winthrop student-athlete to earn NCAA Division I All-American honors in 1994 for his performance in the indoor 5,000 meter run. He qualified twice for the NCAA championships in 1994 for the indoor 5,000 meter run and the outdoor 10,000 meters. Jeff captured the 1994 Big South Conference individual cross country championship and the indoor 5,000 meter run in track. He earned the Most Valuable Performer Award during the 1994 Big South Conference Cross Country Championships. He is the school record-holder for the indoor 5,000 meters with a time of 13 minutes, 55 seconds in 1994, and the outdoor 10,000 meters with a time of 29 minutes, four seconds in 1994.
Frances Burns Hogan—a member of the class of 1943 who was selected the by the Winthrop Athletic Association as one of the best all-around seniors in 1943. Following graduation from Winthrop, she became an instructor at the school and later joined the faculty and athletic staff at the University of North Carolina where she remained until her retirement in 1985. While at UNC Mrs. Hogan coached basketball, field hockey and tennis, and became its first coordinator of women’s intercollegiate sports before being named associate athletic director. She was considered a pioneer in the development of competitive tennis for women in the state of North Carolina. Mrs. Hogan has been inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the Sumter, South Carolina Hall of Fame. She has held various leadership positions in AIAW, North Carolina AIAW and the NCAA, and has been a nationally rated official in field hockey, tennis, volleyball and basketball. The North Carolina AIAW Tennis Trophy was named in her honor in recognition of her contributions to the development of that sport. Due to health reasons, Mrs. Hogan is unable to be with us tonight. Accepting on her behalf is Dr. Mary Roland Griffin, a member of the first Winthrop Hall of Fame Class and the first athletic director in Winthrop history.
Dr. Norma “DeDe” Owens--- a member of the Class of 1968 who competed in golf and basketball at Winthrop before going on to earn her master’s degree from UNC Greensboro and her doctorate in education from Virginia. She joined the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour and later became a teaching professional where she gained national recognition as one of the most popular golf instructors in the country. Dr. Owens was twice named LPGA Teacher of the Year in 1993 and 1997. She was selected as the Midwest Teacher of the Year five times. In 1997, Dr. Owens received the Ellen Griffin-Rolex Award for Teaching. In addition to her teaching honors, she co-authored seven books on golf and wrote numerous research articles. Dr. Owens taught professionally at Cog Hill Country Club in Chicago and served on the research and development staff of Callaway Golf Company until her death in 1999.
Judy Wilkins Rose---a member of the Class of 1974, who was a four-year member of the Winthrop basketball team and served as team captain for three years. Judy helped lead Winthrop to one AIAW national tournament, three AIAW regional tournament appearances, and the South Carolina AIAW championship. Following college, she served as an assistant basketball coach at Tennessee while earning her master’s degree. She began her head coaching career at UNC Charlotte, and in 1981 was named assistant athletic director at UNCC and served in that capacity until 1990 when she was named athletic director, becoming just the third female in the nation to hold such a post at that time. Mrs. Rose has served as tournament director for the 1994 Men’s NCAA Final Four and the 1996 NCAA Women’s Final Four played in Charlotte, NC. She became the first woman ever selected to serve on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament committee. In 1996, Mrs. Rose was named the Woman of the Year in Charlotte. Judy has served on numerous boards and committees and served as President of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2003-04.
Bob Steer--a member of the Class of 1981 who was selected on the 1980 NAIA All-American Second Team and All-NAIA Area 7 team as a pitcher after helping lead the Eagles to the NAIA World Series and a 32-6 record in Winthrop’s first season of baseball. He ranks among Winthrop’s Top 10 career pitching leaders in four categories including Most Complete Games, Most Victories, Lowest Earned Run Average, and Most Innings Pitched while playing for the Eagles in only two seasons. His 12 complete games on the mound during the 1980 season is still a school single season record and his 17 career complete games ranks third all-time. He won a total of 20 games in his two seasons (1980 and 1981) to rank sixth on Winthrop’s career list. He ranks fourth on Winthrop’s career list for lowest ERA at 2.77 and ranks eighth in most career innings pitched with 237.2.
